It is really difficult to know what to make of Orient so far this season. A disappointing defeat is followed by an encouraging performance, only for us to then lose again and then bounce back with a resounding victory. At times the squad looks like it is building its understanding, at others it almost seems as if the players haven’t been formally introduced to each other. 

The loss at home to Barnsley last Saturday brought back very unwelcome memories of last season: in that we made a positive enough start, only to seemingly go to pieces after conceding an early goal. Admittedly Makenzie Kirk’s opener for the Tykes on 15 minutes was down to the sheer pace of Reyes Cleary down their left wing, but it was our response, or lack thereof(!) that irked me the most. When we needed to dig in and take the fight to the opposition, we just seemed to start doubting what we were trying to do and ended up playing within ourselves. Just as we had done so often in the previous campaign. 

If we were hoping that Richie Wellens could work his magic and spark some life and belief into the team at the break, then we were to be sadly disappointed. Instead, it was the visitors that carried on in very much the same vein as they had in the first half. Just past the hour mark they got the second goal that their positive approach deserved, albeit thanks to James Morris losing his head yet again. Admittedly it seemed as if the contact was outside the penalty area, but what the hell Morris was thinking in trying to grapple with Amani Richards at full pace is anyone’s guess. Cameron McGeehan calmly sent Noah Phillips the wrong way and tucked the ball inside the left-hand post.    

With 15 minutes to go Barnsley’s standout performer, Cleary, curled an effort home after we had failed to clear our lines yet again, and any flicker of hope we had of getting anything out of the match was extinguished. Late on young Southampton loanee, Nick Oyekunle, netted a consolation goal for us after pouncing onto a misdirected header by Corey O’Keeffe. It did little to lift the mood of those of us left inside Brisbane Road. 

Speaking to Dave Victor after the match Wellens cited the number of injuries we are currently dealing with as being a key contributory factor, and there is definite truth in that, but he then went on rather startlingly to suggest that his job was tough because the supporters expect him to get us in the top six every year despite having to constantly sell our best players. He then went on to say that his “remit is to make sure we don’t get relegated and produce players.” 

That is quite some turnaround after he has consistently called us supporters out for referring to ourselves as “Little Leyton Orient”! Equally, are we supposed to now believe that Nigel Travis, David Gandler and co have u-turned drastically from their vision of us becoming a sustainable Championship club playing in a 30,000+ capacity new stadium? Adopting a cynical point of view, might his comments be aimed at protecting his own reputation and/or placing the blame elsewhere if this season ends up being another underwhelming (or worse!) one? 

After the disappointment of the previous Saturday, the trip to Bromley on Tuesday evening turned out to be just the tonic the squad needed. Without being too unkind, it’s fair to say that it looks very much as if the Ravens are going to struggle to stay in the division this season, but the way that we put them to the sword helped to lift the gloom amongst the Orient faithful. 

In a contest between two teams of contrasting styles of play, once we managed to make the breakthrough half an hour into the game, there was really only one team in it. Braces from both Jaze Kabia (his first league goals in an O’s shirt) and Yusuf Akhamrich, topped off by an added time goal for Armando Dobra (also his first for the club) sealed what turned out to be a comfortable 5-0 victory. 

Of course we have been here before already this season, (last week in fact!), when we were unable to follow up an encouraging performance and positive result at Wigan against Barnsley. Next, we travel to Luton, and while the Hatters haven’t exactly gotten off to the start they would have hoped for with 2 wins 1 draw and 1 defeat, they will surely be in the promotion mix come the end of the season. Another good performance and a decent result could really help to build some momentum, a defeat to another of the fancied teams would have the dark clouds of pessimism gathering over E10 again. 

The final day of the transfer window proved to be a fairly busy one for Orient. In the morning before the Bromley game the club announced that Dylan Levitt had joined Scottish Premiership club Motherwell on a permanent basis. A bit like opting to loan Tyreeq Bakinson to Plymouth Argyle for the season (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings: Positive signs for Orient but it’s still very early days.) this feels like another confused decision. When he arrived at the club just last February, Richie described Levitt as: “a talented player who can sit deep but also push higher up the pitch. He brings a lot of creativity and is a good passer of the ball.” Yet 10 appearances later he is out the door. So, what happened in that period? 

Immediately after the match at Bromley came the news that we had acquired two excellent looking signings: Dane Scarlett a previously highly rated young striker from Tottenham and Oliver Dovin, a full Sweden international goalkeeper with Championship experience, on loan from Coventry. Sadly, for those of us who love to see one of our own make the grade, Zech Obiero has been sent on loan again, this time to Gillingham, and it really does feel that this might be a precursor to the end of Zech’s time with us.  The following day it was announced that we had signed former Middlesborough midfielder, Alex Gilbert, on a free transfer who played against us for Charlton in the 2025 Play-off Final. (If you can’t beat ‘em, sign ‘em!) 

Now that the squad for the first half of the season is set, with a grand total of 15 new players coming in, we have to hope that it starts to settle and gel quickly, and we can now build on the win at Bromley and establish some consistency. I for one wouldn’t relish another up and down, consistently inconsistent campaign!

Up the O’s!